Living in London there is no shortage of immersive theatre experiences.
Following Punchdrunk’s wildly successful ‘The Drowned Man’, which enjoyed an extended run of over year, Londoners cannot get enough of immersive theatre. No longer dismissed as a pretentious branch of tedious, over-acted promenade performance, immersive theatre, its unique capacity for escapism has become a well-respected and highly sought after experience.
During term-time in York, I often find myself wistfully scrolling through the pages of Time Out, reading teasing reviews of the newest pop-up immersive experience in a cleverly revamped previously abandoned location that you absolutely cannot afford to miss. Imagine the shock to my conceited Londoner mind when I came across something like this happening in York. With a mixture of giddy excitement and prejudiced low expectations I booked tickets to The Guild of Misrule’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ at The Fleeting Arms.
The Fleeting Arms, was not what I expected. The building, from the outside, was darkened and abandoned. It was only after walking past it several times we noticed a small sign that read ‘Drugstore closed. Deliveries after 7pm at the back’. We cautiously went down the side alley where we were met by a man in a suit with an American accent. We were asked several questions about our intentions, who had invited us? did anyone know we were here? Then we were lead in a maze like fashion, over the roof and up and down steps to the bar.
This is where my biased views were first disarmed. The set was atmospheric and the acting subtle. Costumed characters effortlessly mingled with the audience at the bar as one man’s voice grew steadily louder, his words becoming recognisable as Nick Carraway’s introduction. From there onwards the audience were convincingly coaxed into Gatsby’s party. Set over 3 floors, there was a bar, a ball, games rooms, and bedrooms, all authentically finished with gramophones and art deco detailing. Parts of Fitzgerald’s original narrative were cleverly adapted for the space without cutting corners, such Tom and Myrtle became bar staff rather than mechanics.
It was undeniably immersive. It was impossible to go more than five minutes without being entangled into the narrative in some way, from playing blackjack and discussing your love life with Daisy or passing notes between Tom and mistress Myrtle. Immersive theatre relies heavily on choice, especially the choices of the audience. As an audience we can choose to tell the truth or lie, hide behind our hair or start conversation, who to follow and where to go. It makes for an intricately unique experience.
In a post-show chat with the cast Oliver Tinley, the eponymous Gatsby and University of York alumnus, we discussed the growth of immersive theatre and its expansion out of London, Tilney said that the Guild of Misrule was planning on putting on shows in other northern towns such as Leeds. The benefit of a smaller company such as The Guild of Misrule, is the ability to gain access to smaller venues with smaller audiences resulting in a more intimate and arguably more immersive experience.